TB: Aim yourself with knowledge
TB is a curable disease. Join in the fight against TB.
TB or Tuberculosis is caused by bacteria called Mycobacterium Tuberculosis. The lungs are typically affected, but other parts of the body like lymph glands, abdomen, bones and the brain can also be infected.
How TB spreads - TB is spread when a person infected with lung TB coughs and the tiny aerosol droplets are inhaled by another person.
Who is at risk - Anyone can get it, but especially someone who has prolonged contact with an infectious person like someone living in the same house. People with suppressed immune systems are particularly at risk for contracting TB: young children, the elderly, those suffering from HIV/Aids and those on immunesuppressing treatments like chemotherapy.
How to avoid contracting TB - Maintain a healthy lifestyle by following a balanced diet, exercising, not smoking or using illegal drugs and avoiding alcohol abuse. The BCG vaccine, which is given at birth, does not always protect people from getting TB, but it is very effective at protecting young children against developing severe forms of TB such as
milliary TB and meningitis.
The symptoms - Coughing that lasts more than 3 weeks, discoloured or bloody sputum (mucous coughed up from the lungs), drenching night sweats, weight loss, tiredness, fever or chills, loss of appetite and chest pain.
How TB is diagnosed - A patient is screened for TB symptoms. Thereafter sputum is usually collected and sent for a GeneXpert test at the laboratory. A chest X-ray can also be ordered by the doctor.
Can one be cured? - TB is definitely curable. TB is treated with medication that fights the TB bacteria. The course of treatment normally takes 6 months and always involves a combination of medications.
It is vitally important that patients strictly adhere to the treatment and finish the course, or the TB can become even more difficult to treat (become resistant). Symptoms can begin to improve within two to three weeks, but the improvement will only show up on a lung X-ray much later on.
The prognosis is excellent if the TB is detected early and the treatment is adhered to.